The Ultimate Aztec Shark Control Quiz

Can hot chili peppers actually ward off shark attacks? The ancient Aztecs believed they could. Check out our quiz and see if ancient rituals can keep you safe from sharks.

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Question 1 of 10

Which of the following have been proposed by researchers as potential shark repellants?

magnets

electropositive metals

both of the above

Though scientists, chemists and marine biologists have searched for decades to find an effective shark repellant, promising theories about magnets and electropositive metals have turned out to be disappointing.

Question 2 of 10

What did native Indians in Mexico and Central America use to repel sharks?

chili peppers

The Aztec Indians hung strings of chili peppers from their canoes to repel sharks in the water and the Cuna Indians in Panama still practice this custom.

white pepper

black pepper

Question 3 of 10

How many years ago did chilies enter Aztec cuisine?

2000

4000

6000

Cultivated chilies entered Aztec cuisine and culture as many as 6,000 years ago.

Question 4 of 10

For which purpose did the ancient Aztecs use chili peppers?

medicines

The Aztecs used chili peppers as a spice and for their medicinal properties.

construction

beauty care

Question 5 of 10

The ancient Aztecs sacrificed _____ to their gods.

sharks

Remains of sharks found at the Aztec Great Temple, indicates the Aztecs sacrificed sharks to their gods as gifts.

chili peppers

corn

Question 6 of 10

Capsicum peppers get their heat from a chemical called:

carbon

calcium

capsaicin

The amount of capsaicin in Capsicum peppers determines how much burn there is in the pepper.

Question 7 of 10

A Capsicum pepper's heat is measured in Scoville units. Which Capsicum pepper is ranked highest?

bell pepper

jalapeno

orange habanero

The orange habanero is ranked as the hottest pepper. The testers determine the rankings by first tasting the pepper, and then tasting gradually diluted ones until they can't feel the heat.

Question 8 of 10

Pure capsaicin extract has _____ million Scoville units.

12

16

According to the Chili Pepper Institute, pure capsaicin extract has 16 million Scoville units.

One Capsicum shark repellent patent is basically a pepper spray for sharks. Spraying a shot of pure Capsicum juice at a shark might irritate the fish's gill membranes and nerves causing it to run away from the source of the irritation, though someone has yet to prove this theory.

propellant

deterrent

Question 10 of 10

Which type of pepper has the lowest number of Scoville units?

jalapeno

bell

Bell peppers don't have any Scoville units at all, while Tabasco has a whopping 125,000 units.